Bill Yeoman
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 26, 1927 Elnora, Indiana |
| Playing career | |
| 1945 | Texas A&M |
| 1946–1948 | Army |
| Position(s) | Center |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1954–1961 | Michigan State (assistant) |
| 1962–1986 | Houston |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 160–108–8 |
| Bowls | 6–4–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 4 SWC (1976, 1978, 1979, 1984) | |
|
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2001 (profile) |
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Bill Yeoman (born December 26, 1927) is a former American football player and coach. Starting in 1962, he was the University of Houston's head coach, holding the position through 1986. In his tenure, he became the winningest coach in school history, with an overall record of 160–108–8. Yeoman revolutionized offensive football in 1964 by developing the Veer option offense. Yeoman also played a prominent role in the racial integration of collegiate athletics in the South by being the first coach at a predominantly white school in the State of Texas to sign a black player. Yeoman's Cougars finished the season ranked in the AP Top 10 four times and finished 11 times in the AP or UPI Top 20.
Yeoman played center for Army from 1946 to 1948 under legendary head coach Earl Blaik. The 1946 team was 9–0–1 with a backfield of two Heisman Trophy winners: Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard. Yeoman was a team captain in 1948 and chosen as a second team All-American. The Army football teams in which he played compiled a combined 22–2–4 record. Bill Yeoman is still the only underclassman to ever captain an Army team.
From 1950 to 1953, Yeoman served in the United States Army. After his return from the Army, he became an assistant coach under Duffy Daugherty at Michigan State from 1954 to 1961.
After serving as an assistant coach for eight seasons at Michigan State, Yeoman was hired to become the head coach of the University of Houston Cougars in 1962. The Cougars had only begun playing football in 1946 and had enjoyed little success or prominence in the program’s short history. Yeoman established a winning tradition in his very first year at Houston, guiding the team to a 7–4 record and a victory in the Tangerine Bowl. After a losing season in 1963, Yeoman began experimenting with a new offense named the Veer, which used a split-back alignment. The Veer option offense would revolutionize college football and help the Cougars to become a perennial power.
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